


Joint Custody

by moeblobmegane



Series: ∞ Days with NagiRin [10]
Category: Free!
Genre: Accidental Relationship, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Kid Fic, M/M, Magic, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Witches, background KisuMako in later chapters, background SouGou very quickly, in that they have to co-parent a child
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-07-20 18:36:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16143113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moeblobmegane/pseuds/moeblobmegane
Summary: “Gou…” Sousuke looked at the two witches with wide eyes before glancing back to his wife. “Did you-”Her face was still pale from labor, but her expression showed that shock was part of it too. “I did, but did you also-”“Oh god,” they said at the same time. Sousuke was almost as pale as his wife.(Rin and Nagisa are witches who were promised the same first born, Haruka aka the reincarnation of the High Mage.)





	1. Makoto uses his Mediating Skills; it's very effective

**Author's Note:**

> My OG Kid Fic idea!!! If you were following me in tumblr years ago, you'd know how obsessed I was with this. In fact, this chapter has already been posted there before. I'm putting it here since I'm finally moving forward to write it as part of Kid Fic Month.
> 
> This is mostly a collection of stories (ala comedy sitcoms?) from this universe. It alternates POV between Rin, Nagisa, and Makoto. I don't have an _outline_ , I have a wish list of prompts from my followers. Feel free to drop some prompts if you want to.
> 
> This chapter contains married sougou.

Tachibana Makoto had been a town healer for a grand total of three weeks. Freshly initiated by head healer Amakata Miho, he had been going around town serving the people of Iwatobi. His first patient was a young girl who broke her arm after someone cursed her with a misfortune spell. His next one was a surgery for an old man who suddenly grew horns on his head after eating a wild mushroom. After that, there were the elves down by the valley who needed blood transfusion because of a gambling game gone wrong, and the mermaids who needed some skin ointments.

Makoto had seen some shit.

 

“Choose: young human woman giving birth or a troll with indigestion problems?”

Makoto looked up to see Amakata with an encouraging and sweet smile. He _knew_ that smile. It wasn’t a smile you could trust. With a deep sigh, he asked, “Why are we even being called for the trolls?”

Amakata rolled her eyes and leaned forward. “As if you aren’t used to this already,” she scoffed. “Come on! Choose one, my young apprentice!”

“I’ll go with labor,” he answered decisively with a nod. There was nothing scarier than an uncomfortable troll. He had heard from his co-workers about the numerous times they had been accidentally kicked or punched by angry trolls. Makoto was a good man, and he wanted to be of help to Amakata, but he also knew that she had experience with that and was less likely to pass out in the middle of a consultation. It was best they played to their skills.

With a groan, her shoulder slumped. “I thought you were a gentleman. Everyone said you were a gentleman!”

Makoto laughed quietly, shaking his head in amusement. “I just know you’re better at delicate customers than I am.”

She gave him the stink-eye. “Giving birth is very delicate,” she said solemnly. “It is _literally_ more delicate. Are you sure you can handle that?”

He hummed, once again weighing the pros and cons of the choices. Of course, what she said was true, but he also knew for a fact that he couldn’t handle those trolls. He wasn’t very good with mediating fights between highly violent patients. Besides, he had experience with midwife duties. As the son of the town chief, he’d been invited to a few birthing rituals already. This was a simple task.

“I’m sure I could handle it just fine.”

Famous.

Last.

Words.

 

 

 

It started normal enough.

The Yamazaki couple lived in a quaint little cottage right at the side of the dock, close enough for the place to have the distinct smell of the sea but far enough to be outside the danger of mermaids. Sousuke, the husband, was level-headed and willing to help out in any way he can. He fetched things quickly and held his wife’s hands when she needed it. Gou, the wife, shouted and hit her husband a few times but, other than that, the childbirth went as smoothly as possible.

The child was a healthy baby boy with dark blue hair and bright blue eyes.

That was the end of the normalcy.

As soon as the umbilical cord was cut, a loud _poof!_ resounded in the room and two figures appeared on either side of Makoto out of nowhere. He held on to the baby with gentle but protective hands, slowly looking around at the strangers around. At his right was a red-haired man wearing a heavy jaguar-print leather coat with fox fur laced into it. His dark jeans were ripped, and studs lined his ears. He had a thorny rose tattoo all around his neck. The whole get-up had a wild and dangerous look that made Makoto look away immediately. He was scared of being caught looking.

The one at his left was shorter, and had blonde hair and shining pink irises. He was clad in an old traditional witch robe, complete with a pointy black hat. The huge smile on his face and those eyes filled with excitement looked out of place with the formal clothes.

They were _witches_.

At the very least, Makoto was sure the two were some kind of witch. He didn’t personally know them and he had never seen either of them in town, but he was sure of this.

Besides, appearing right after a firstborn’s umbilical cord was cut? Definitely witches.

“Um,” Makoto stuttered, stepping back and away from the two. He gently placed the child in the nest of blankets they made and proceeded to take a warm damp blanket to clean the boy up.

Before he could do so though, the blonde man hopped forward and flicked his hand towards the baby. In an instant, the Yamazaki boy was clean from head to toe.

“Gou…” Sousuke looked at the two witches with wide eyes before glancing back to his wife. “Did you-”

Her face was still pale from labor, but her expression showed that shock was part of it too. “I did, but did you also-”

“Oh god,” they said at the same time. Sousuke was almost as pale as his wife.

Did they actually both promise their firstborn child to witches without telling each other? Makoto wasn’t sure how anyone could hide that, or how it was even possible. Shouldn’t the witches have known? He had ideas on how it could happen, but it was all guesswork. He had never seen anything like this happen.

“Sousuke swore to me earlier than Gou did to you, right?” The redhead stepped forward, expression turning smug. He was staring down at the blonde haired one in what looked like challenge. “The baby is mine.”

The blonde pouted for a second but didn’t reply to that. Instead, he faced Makoto and smiled a 200-watt smile before saying, “Hi! I’m Nagisa of the Hazuki Clan. Nice to finally meet you, Tachibana-san! Please give your father my greetings.” He bowed down respectfully.

“Of the- Oh!” Makoto bowed down as well. He would be surprised of this stranger knowing who he was, but since he was the oldest son of the town chief, and the Hazuki Clan was a rich and powerful family from the nearest kingdom, this was to be expected. While he had never met this man, he knew enough to know this was the only son of the richest mage in their area. “Nice to meet you, Nagisa-kun.”

“Oi!” The other witch stepped closer, annoyance becoming clear on his face. “Listen to me!”

“Rin-chan,” Nagisa sighed, pouting once again and facing the aforementioned guy. “You have to introduce yourself properly. It’s just good manners, you know?” He strode forward to tug at Rin’s sleeves until they were both directly in front of Makoto. “This is Rin-chan. He lives deep in the Sano Mountains and scare children who go there.”

“I don’t--”

“But he does it for their own good,” Nagisa continued, ignoring Rin’s interjection. “He’s a really good person deep, deep, _very deep_ inside.”

Rin swiftly hit him on the head, sending Nagisa sideways. “Stop bad mouthing me!”

“I was complimenting you!” Nagisa stuck out his tongue.

“Um,” Makoto raised his hands, stepping back but keeping himself between the two and the baby. “I’m not really sure what’s happening, but if we could just calm down? I need to take care of Gou-chan and the baby. We should sit down.”

“I can take care of the baby. I’ll just take him and leave.” Rin moved forward.

Makoto did not budge. “I don’t think you understand it, Rin-san,” he said, offering an apologetic grimace. “If Sousuke-kun and Gou-chan promised you both their firstborn, it’s a bit more complicated than that.” At least, he thought it was. Magic contracts had their own laws and they were pretty clear-cut on who had a say on things. There was a reason why both Nagisa and Rin were here.

Rin’s frown deepened but he stopped his advance. “My pact with Sousuke happened when he was nineteen years old. Any claim Nagisa has over the baby is nullified by mine.”

“That would be true, normally,” Makoto agreed patiently. Everything was starting to make sense. “But that means you had the contract _before_ the couple was even together, right?” He waited for Rin’s nod before he continued. “Nagisa-kun, when did Gou-chan agree to your contract?”

Eyebrows furrowing, Nagisa hummed in thought. “It also happened when she was 19, but she’s younger so it was a year later.”

This time, Makoto looked at the couple watching the proceedings with baited breath. “When did you become a couple?”

“About two years after I met Rin,” Sousuke answered, looking to his wife for confirmation. She nodded once, still too tired to move much. Makoto needed to settle this quickly. Giving birth takes a lot of strength and the mother needed time to recuperate.

Seemingly noticing Gou’s discomfort, Rin winced and raised a hand, waving it elegantly a few times in a motion Makoto couldn’t recognize. Something glowed in the air around her, and Gou’s face regained color slowly. “Sorry,” he said quietly, frowning down at her.

Nagisa snickered at his side but didn’t comment.

Makoto cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention again. “The way I see it,” he started. “The contracts are both legitimate; otherwise, you wouldn’t be both here right now. You both have a connection to this baby.” He looked down at the bright blue eyes staring back at him. There was something about those eyes, something about the way they didn’t look anything like his parent’s. Makoto knew a thing or two about magical contracts, and he also knew some things about fate.

This felt a lot like fate.

“Sousuke and Gou have equal claim over this child, and thus both of you have equal claim on him, too.” Makoto cringed as he realized what he needed to say. He had always been a pacifist, so this was especially hard. “Unless one of you dies, you’re both this child’s guardian.”

“I’m not killing anyone,” Nagisa said immediately, crossing his arms petulantly like a child.

“Then I should probably kill you,” Rin replied, raising an eyebrow.

“You wouldn’t do that,” Nagisa scoffed. “You’re too nice.”

Rin’s eyebrow twitched. Makoto wondered for a moment if Nagisa had some kind of death wish. “I don’t see any way out of this but your death, and that’s looking increasingly good from where I stand.”

The two stared at each other, with Rin glaring in annoyance while Nagisa used puppy eyes to dissuade Rin from killing him. They were obviously at an impasse, and Makoto was sure it could go either way. Bloodshed was not in his itinerary today. He thought he’s escaped that when he got this job instead of the trolls.

“You could just share!”

The tension brewing in the air shattered as everyone turned in shock to a sheepish Makoto. Rin was gaping in obvious disbelief; Nagisa looked interested, lips twitching up in pleasant surprise; Sousuke just looked confused; And Gou’s… already passed out in exhaustion. Her color’s good and her breathing is even so there’s no worry there for now, at least. Whatever Rin did was effective in giving them time to talk.

“What?!” Rin belatedly shouted, which prompted the baby to start crying.

Makoto absentmindedly picked him up and rocked him, eyes still focused on the two witches. “It would be better for everyone if you just make a contract of your own, right? Either you relinquish your claim, or…”

“We could share!” Nagisa clapped his hands twice, grinning widely. “That’s a _great_ idea!”

“What makes you think I won’t just go ahead and kill you?” Rin’s glare was turning too murderous for Makoto’s taste.

“No murders in front of the child, please,” he interfered weakly.

Nagisa stood beside Makoto and patted him on the back reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Mako-chan. Rin-chan is a softy. He won’t kill me. Especially not when we’re co-guardians of this cute baby now. Right, Haru-chan?” He looked down at the baby and gently poked at his cute little nose. “You want both of us, right?” His voice softened into whispered baby talk as he focused all his attention down on Haru.

“Did you just-” Rin groaned and kicked at Nagisa’s leg. “Don’t name him. He’s not yours.”

“We can talk about that later,” Nagisa said, shrugging. With another of those large smiles, he said, “Race you to your house?” and then he disappeared just as quickly as he came.

“That little-!” A second later, Rin was gone too.

And the Yamazaki son disappeared with them.

 

 

Dinner that night at the Yamazaki’s was a somber affair. Sousuke had insisted that Makoto stay until Gou woke up, and Makoto was exhausted enough to agree. He still had to check on Gou’s vitals anyway so it was a good idea. The most important point to him, however, was to check on how the couple was dealing with the whole witches contract situation. He was a healer, a _physical_ healer, and not a counselor, so technically he could not help in any official way, but he was invested in the proceedings. He had seen lots of things in his time here in Iwatobi, but none of them was quite as weird as this one.

“I’m sure you have lots of questions,” Gou said, a knowing twinkle in her eyes. Rin’s spell, whatever it was, had done easily what Makoto needed to do to make sure she was comfortable and safe after giving birth, which became clear as soon as he checked up on her. She was able to sit up and eat with them. “Since you’ve seen all that, we’d be glad to shed some light on it, if you want.”

Sousuke nodded. “We both came from different towns, so we’re not entirely sure if you have witches in Iwatobi.”

The Yamazaki couple, as far as Makoto remembered, was originally from Sano. They moved here a year ago after they got married. Maybe they both thought they could escape the contract if they moved away.

“The closest witch family we have are the Hazukis, and they live two towns away. I’m not…” Makoto bit his lip, thinking of how to explain his understanding of the situation. “I’m not really confused about the witches part. What I’m confused about is…”

“How we just gave away our child?”

The two looked at each other and shrugged at the same time. Makoto nodded and waited for them to explain.

“I was prepared to be hated by my wife,” Sousuke explained. “Before me and Gou met, I was a knight in Sano. I made the contract with Rin when I was almost discharged from duty because of an injury. We were so close to catching a notorious monster, and I needed to finish the case. I wasn’t planning on ever marrying then, so it was an easy choice to make.

“We moved out because I wanted a chance to keep my child, but… Well, she’s more important to me, and honestly? As long as she didn’t hate me, I was fine.” He looked at her as if she hung the moon in the sky. She had the same expression.

“I felt the same way,” Gou confessed. “I made a contract with Nagisa-kun to save my dad when he was stranded in a shipwreck a few years ago. Back then, I would have offered anything, and it was worth it. I don’t regret it, especially knowing that Sousuke did the same.”

The complete lack of longing for their child was unusual, but he could see how that could happen. Maybe they were just both so scared of losing each other that they had given up on their firstborn child without any remorse. They were prepared to do this, after all. The relief of still having each other far outweighed the life they’d already accepted as gone.

Still, though, Makoto couldn’t forget Haru’s appearance. His dad had black hair and blue-green eyes, and his mom had red hair and red eyes. They both had light brown skin and strong features. There was no similarity at all to that ethereal child with his pale coloring and bright blue eyes. Even the softness of his features and the shape of his eyes were different from the two.

“You don’t… want him back?”

Gou blinked, expression turning thoughtful. “He’s not ours,” she said. “He never was.”

Makoto found himself nodding in agreement, feeling the rightness of that statement down to his bones. Sometimes, fate just moved in mysterious ways.


	2. Rin loses an argument

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is for the five nagirin fans who exist in this world. you are the chosen ones.
> 
> if you have any prompts about this magical family, please comment so i can add them to my list of things

There was nothing in the world Rin hated more than the nobles. Human or otherwise, they always had a blown up sense of ego, and the social power to flaunt it so. The Hazukis, for example, was the richest family in all of Tokyo, and they made sure to remind the ‘lower classes’ of this every now and then. The great mage and head of the family often went out of his way to arrange parties and invite all the other nobles. It was disgusting.

Their daughters were the same way. Sora, Chigusa and Nanako were among the best witches in the entirety of Japan. They were also rich brats who’s had everything served to them in a silver platter. Or at least, Sora was. Rin hadn’t met the other two yet, but he had worked closely with Sora in one royal assignment. She was insufferable and demanding. She also called Rin a _disgrace_. The hatred went both ways.

“Rin-chan! This place is not safe for children!”

But there was no one in the family quite like the only son. Nagisa Hazuki was a weird creature. A black sheep, some would say. For Rin, he was a powerful and unstable witch who really should be on a leash. He was someone who could produce lightning from the tip of his finger but could not control the wind with a simple spell. He could teleport with ease and heal himself without so much as a thought, but he could not levitate a leaf.

Nagisa Hazuki was the complete opposite of his sisters.

“I _love_ your place, but can we please, please, please bring Haru-chan to mine?”

Not only was he different in skill, he also had a different view of the world in general. Instead of hating Rin at first sight like how Sora did, Nagisa was friendly and immediately clung to Rin. He was talkative and did not care at all about the stares everyone was sending their way. He also greeted the familiars and knew the servants by name. It was disconcerting.

“Rin-chan! Listen!”

“Just give me the baby and go back to your mansion,” he said, as calmly as he could. “What would you need this baby for, anyway?”

The pouty expression Nagisa was sporting changed into that of exasperated disbelief. “Rin-chan,” he sighed, the name sounding like a reprimand. “You feel it too, right? You felt it the moment you saw Haru-chan.” He grinned, leaning close. “And don’t call Haru-chan ‘the baby’. He has a name. Right, Haru-chan?” He started cooing at the baby once again.

Rin _did_ feel it. He never really examined his own intentions as to why he wanted Sousuke’s firstborn. It was an instinct. At the time, he thought it was because Sousuke couldn’t give anything of worth anyway, but the moment he saw the baby, he knew why. Hair as dark as the night sky and eyes as blue as the deepest ocean… Just like a certain mage from a century ago.

He said “don’t name him, he’s not yours,” but he knew where Nagisa had gotten the name. The baby was not Nagisa’s, but neither was he Rin’s, not completely.

High Mage Haruka Nanase did not belong to anyone.

“He’s a baby,” Rin said. “He doesn’t have a say on anything.”

“That’s true,” Nagisa conceded. “So on his behalf, I’d like to say your house isn’t fit for children.”

“Your family is not fit for children.”

“...You have a point.” Nagisa frowned, for the first time looking worried. “I have my own house, though. I don’t live there and it’s been awhile since I’ve had anyone there, but we can manage.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my house.”

“I _didn’t_ say there was something wrong with it,” Nagisa complained. He paused, looking around the small cottage and the jars of herbs piled neatly on shelves on the walls. “Oh wait, I did!”

“Just hand over Haruka,” Rin groaned. “ _You’re_ not fit to take care of another human being. I can teach him everything he needs to know about magic.”

Nagisa’s pouty face was back. “You’re planning to treat him as your protegé, right?”

“Yeah, obviously.” He didn’t know exactly what he would do with the baby, but knowing it was Haruka changed everything.

“Well, I’m not. Haru-chan is my son. My contract with Gou-chan specifically gives Haru-chan right to be my heir.”

Oh. Holy crap. That’s big. Nagisa was the heir of the Hazuki clan, and if he’s making Haruka _his_ heir, then...

“ _Yeah_ ,” Nagisa agreed with a triumphant grin upon seeing the dawning realization on his face. “Can we go to my house now?”

Rin had no choice but to agree.

 

Rich people were ridiculous. Rin knew that before, but he had never completely realized the magnitude of it until now.

“You have a _what?_ ”

Nagisa looked at him curiously, as if he was the weird one here. “An underground pool.”

“And this—” Rin gestured wildly at the shelf that had moved earlier when Nagisa pulled one book out. It revealed a door leading to what looked like a slide. “You have secret passages that lead to your underground pool?”

“Yes! Every room in this floor has one!”

Rin was going to have an allergic reaction from the sheer amount of asinine sections in this house. His own cottage was so simple; it had a bed, a bath, and a kitchen. There were no secret passages and absurd number of rooms. Plain and simple.

“Why do you—” He couldn’t even formulate a question to signify his disbelief at this whole mansion. “ _Why_?”

Nagisa blinked, lip quirking into an amused grin. “Because it’s fun?” He giggled, bumping Rin’s side while still holding on to Haruka. “My sister said it was useless too, but I _really_ wanted a giant slide.”

(It kind of hurt to be compared to Nagisa’s sister. Rin did not want to be likened to Sora, that evil witch.)

It appeases him to know that this whole mansion was not normal for rich people either. This was just Nagisa being who he was. He inserted fun where he wanted. While useless, Rin could see how interesting the giant slide made the house. And despite his minimalistic choices, he was a child once. He also dreamed of secret passages before. Those kind of things spelled ‘adventure’.

“You’re ridiculous.”

Nagisa grinned wider, like that was a compliment.

“Don’t you think something like this is unfit for children too, though?” Rin smirked. He knew there was no one in this house right now, and while it was clean, there was still that stale smell in the air that made it clear that no one lived here for a while now. The servants who cleaned the place might only come once in a few weeks or so. As far as Rin knew, Nagisa has never even learned the basics of a cleaning spell. He’s had maids his entire life for that. There was no way he’d clean this whole mansion on his own.

“It _can_ be,” Nagisa replied easily, eyes glinting mischievously. “That’s why you’re here, right? To make sure Haru-chan gets the best environment he could have?”

 _This little shit_ , Rin thought, narrowing his eyes. He could see clearly what was happening. Haruka was, as far as the laws of magical contracts were concerned, officially a Hazuki now. Rin had a certain control over what happens to Haruka, and he was still considered Haruka’s guardian too, but he could not stop Nagisa from giving Haruka this kind of shelter. His little cottage didn’t even have space for a crib. This was for the best.

Didn’t mean he liked it, though.

Rich people were _unfair_.

Nagisa stared at him for a few long seconds, searching his expression for something. Rin knew there was only defeat there.

“Here,” Nagisa stepped forward and unceremoniously dumped Haruka in Rin’s arms. Once his arms were free, he poked at the furrow in between Rin’s eyebrows and said, “We’ll be the best parents ever. Don’t worry.”

Rin gaped at him. “ _You’re_ the father. I’m not.”

There was complete innocence in Nagisa’s face as he tilted his head, and said, “Oh, okay. If you say so.”


	3. Nagisa learns Magical Theory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hello if you're reading this you've been blessed by the actual angel nagisa hazuki, bless you

It wasn’t that Nagisa didn’t know how to do magic; it was that he didn’t know how to do _boring_ magic. Lightning sparks were flashy, and effective for either distracting an enemy or paralyzing them. Mind magic let him lie to people and escape noble duties. Teleportation was fun and it brought him to all kinds of places.

Cleaning spells were _boring_ and had no use for him.

“Do you want your son to live in filth?” Rin asked, looking pointedly at Haruka in Nagisa’s arms. “An infant’s body is fragile. All this dust will affect him, not to mention we don’t even know what kind of viruses are living in this place.”

“There are no _viruses_ in my mansion!”

Rin gave him a flat look. “Rockhopper mansion sits by a cliff, surrounded by forestry, never being cleaned thoroughly by your lazy ass servants because you never live here anyway. You don’t have wards in place. No protective spells. A deer could be living in your basement and you wouldn’t know!”

A deer living in his basement would be _awesome_ , actually.

“A wild deer would be _unsanitary_!”

Nagisa’s eyes widened. “Did you read my mind?”

“No! It was written all over your face!” Rin sighed. If he frowned any deeper, that might permanently stay on his face, which would be a shame because Rin had a really handsome smiling face. “If you won’t do it, then I’ll start warding the area.”

“You would?” Nagisa loved watching Rin work. He would rather do that than learn cleaning spells and protective wards.

“Looks like I have no choice,” Rin said in defeat. “I don’t want my protege to die before he even learns his first levitation spell.”

 

It turned out that watching someone write markings on the wall and mutter incantations wasn’t as fun as Nagisa initially hoped. Usually, Rin worked with intricate and flashy spells, but it was obvious that warding this place was one of those boring tasks that Nagisa never wanted to do.

Instead of watching then, he focused on talking to Haruka and searching for the things he would need. Rin had brought a bassinet with wheels—from his house, Nagisa assumed—so Nagisa was able to put Haruka down and go from room to room, searching for baby clothes and toys. He was sure they were in a storage here somewhere.

He found them in the southwest quadrant, on the third floor. There was a storage room there filled only with toys and clothes from their childhood. He happily looked through the items around him, narrating their stories to Haruka who seemed content lying there on his bassinet.

A few hours later, he had a pile of clothes for Haruka and a whole box of toys he could play with when he got a little bit bigger.

“Good job, us,” Nagisa told Haruka, before pulling the bassinet and making his way back to where Rin was.

 

They didn’t find him in the entrance of the mansion, where he was earlier. Nagisa could feel the current of magic in the air, and he knew Rin already successfully warded most of this area. It was a _large_ place. Nagisa would always be impressed by Rin’s magic.

“I wonder where he is?” he asked Haruka. His son blinked up at him slowly but showed no other response.

Closing his eyes, he tried to feel out where Rin was. Compared to the nobles or even other nature witches, Rin’s magic felt more electric. It felt dangerous and volatile. Searching for him was easy. Nagisa had always known how to find Rin in the Sano Mountains, back when he was still pestering Rin to join him in the parties the Hazukis threw.

But Nagisa couldn’t feel that familiar magic.

Instead of a large roaring fire, what Nagisa felt were tiny sparks from dying embers.

Rin was in trouble.

 

“ _Fucking shit_ ,” Rin said as soon as he saw Nagisa come in through the large doors. “You didn’t tell me your goddamn mansion was _cursed_ , bastard.”

Nagisa kneeled down and put a hand on Rin’s forehead. Cold sweat lined his pale skin and he was shivering. The tattoo on his neck had wilted—black petals pooling on his collarbone—and only one red rose remained.

There was something in the house sucking away Rin’s mana.

Rin was dying. All because Nagisa didn’t know anything about his own mansion; all because he was too lazy to ward his own house.

“I didn’t know,” Nagisa said, feeling utterly helpless. “Why would my mansion be cursed? I’ve never felt that.” And he was great at detecting those kinds of things. He might have been negligent when it came to basic spells, but detecting curses was important when you had three powerful witches always willing to prank you.

Rin knew that, as well. “Oh,” he said, groaning in pain as soon as he did.

“What?”

“It’s a curse for anyone who tries to put spells on your mansion, someone who isn’t your family,” Rin explained. He clutched at his chest, breathing hard. “Fuck.”

“But you’re family now!” Nagisa said. “We have a child!” Rin was the guardian of Nagisa’s heir, so that made him family, right?

“That’s not how it works.”

Nagisa looked around, honing in on the thread of mana being sucked away from Rin’s body. “What should I do?” he asked.

“Infuse your magic with mine in the wards,” Rin said. “Let me up. I’ll teach you.”

With Rin’s life in the line, it was suddenly easy to focus, to listen, to _learn_.

Like that, Nagisa finally learned how to ward his mansion.

 

Nagisa sighed in relief as soon as Rin’s rose tattoos started blooming again. He had never seen it wilt like that before, and he would rather never see it again. The thought of Rin slowly withering away as his mana was sucked out of him would fuel his nightmares, for sure. He never wanted to put Rin in this kind of position.

He should have known better. Chigusa put all kinds of spells in their manors. It made sense that she would put something here, too. He didn’t think to check.

“Hey, Nagisa?”

He knelt down and clutched Rin’s hand in his. Rin still couldn’t stand up with his own strength so Nagisa had put him down beside the door while he finished intergrating his mana with the wards. “Hm?”

“Where’s Haruka?”

Nagisa’s eyes widened. “Ah. My son.”

“The only reason I’m here,” Rin emphasized. His eyes darted around, wanting to look around but unable to move his body much while he was healing from mana exhaustion. “Did you leave Haruka behind somewhere?”

“Oops,” Nagisa said, letting go of Rin’s hand and jumping back away just as Rin tried to punch him. “I’ll get him! He’s just at the entrance!”

“You left _a baby_ out in the cold?!”

Nagisa decided to run before Rin could get his strength back and kill him.

 

Haruka was indeed still in the main entryway, but he was not the same calm child as before, no.

As soon as Nagisa was close enough, he could see how Haruka’s face was red and splotchy. He was screaming, crying so loudly it almost hurt Nagisa’s ears. It felt like his cries were amplified.

“Oh no, Rin-chan’s really going to kill me this time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know what else would have worked? marrying each other


	4. Makoto gets kidnapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Birthday update!!!! (it's a day early but still)  
> this chapter... is not what i expected?? i'm gonna preemptively say that makoharu is not a ship in this story, because Haruka is a baby??? anyway i love makoto tachibana a lot

When Makoto went home the night after eating dinner with the Yamazakis, he thought it would be the end of that. He’d write up a report to inform his father and Amakata-sensei, then forget about that fiasco. There was nothing else he could do for the family who had already given up on their child. Even if they did want their child back, it was impossible for mortals to mess with magical contracts.

Makoto knew he had to let it go.

He was still worried, though.

 

* * *

 

 

He dreamt about being dragged into the sea, but it wasn’t a nightmare. There was a gentle but persistent hand pulling him down, down, down. The water wasn’t too cold or too warm. It was the perfect temperature for a swim. When Makoto gasped, he realized he could breathe underwater and open his eyes to see the beauty the sea had to offer. He could see everything.

He was surrounded by blue.

 

He woke up to the ear-splitting sound of an infant crying. When he opened his eyes and sat up, he saw Nagisa standing by the foot of his bed, holding Haru and smiling apologetically at him.

“Hey,” he said, “you know how to make him stop crying, right?”

“Um.”

Nagisa walked around the bed and thrusted Haru into Makoto’s arms. Not knowing what else to do, Makoto accepted and looked down at Haru. He murmured soft words and rocked him gently as he was taught to do by Amakata.

A few seconds later, Haru’s face went slack as he stared at Makoto and blinked slowly. His eyes were too bright. Makoto knew those eyes were the exact blue from his dreams. He didn’t know what that meant.

“Oooh!” Nagisa clapped quietly, moving forward to peek at Haru’s expression. “He stopped! He hasn’t stopped crying since yesterday! I knew you could do it!”

“He was crying since yesterday?” Makoto asked, eyes wide. Did that mean Haru wasn’t able to sleep? Did he eat? Suddenly, he realized what he had been worrying about since yesterday. He wasn’t worried about the Yamazakis missing their child; he was worried because Nagisa and Rin didn’t look like the type who knew how to take care of a child.

“I forgot him because Rin was cursed and dying, so I guess Haru-chan’s angry at me right now,” Nagisa confessed, looking guilty but not as guilty as Makoto thought he should be.

Setting aside the ‘cursed and dying’ bit, Makoto focused on Haru’s welfare first.

“You’re his guardians now,” he scolded the witch. “You need to take care of him better. I know you’re capable of hiring help.”

Nagisa gasped. “Can I hire you?”

This was way below his pay grade. “I’m a town healer,” he said. “I can’t just go away.”

“But—”

“I’m sure you can find someone else,” he reassured, handing Haru back to Nagisa. Haru didn’t cry, but the peaceful look on his face grew strained.

When Nagisa disappeared into thin air, Makoto’s arms tingled and something in his chest ached.

 

The next few nights, he dreamt of being sucked into the abyss of space.

The stars were beautiful.

In the distance, he could hear a child crying.

 

* * *

 

 

It was a few days later when Rin came to see him.

“Okay,” Rin said, appearing at his side out of nowhere. “You’re who we need.”

Makoto yelped and jumped away. He was walking back from a house-call in the middle of the forest, and he was already spooked enough without this surprise. He wanted to go home and rest.

“What?”

Rin shrugged. “Haruka needs you, I think,” he said. “I think that’s what your dreams have been implying, anyway.”

“What?” How did he know about the dreams? Were witches capable of dreamwalking? Or reading minds?

“First of all, yes, a few of us can use mind magic. Nagisa’s better at it than I am, though.”

‘ _Are you reading my mind right now?_ ’ Makoto thought.

“I’m not reading your mind, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Rin said, which was the most suspicious thing he could have said. “I knew about the dreams because I’ve been having them, too. We think it’s Haruka trying to communicate with us.”

“The baby?”

Rin sighed and nodded. “If we’re right, it means he thinks you’re necessary for his survival, or I guess he knows? We’re not really sure which power he still has. Legend says he used to be able to see all the potential futures.”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Makoto said with a grimace.

“Does the name Haruka Nanase mean anything to you?” Rin asked.

Makoto thought back to the history books he’d read for school. Haruka Nanase was a genius who was lauded as the greatest magic user the world has ever known. He was so good that he was allowed to live in the castle with the royal family. There are myths about how he didn’t die of old age like the King announced, about how he turned into a being of pure magic and became one with the universe.

“Of course I know who High Mage Haruka Nanase is,” he said.

Rin grinned. “He’s been reincarnated,” he said. “As our baby.”

“No.”

“Seriously!” Rin laughed, giddy.

“That’s impossible.” It wasn’t entirely impossible, given Haruka Nanase’s power, but Makoto was trying to hold on to some semblance of sanity, so he’d rather reject this idea. A baby wasn’t giving him dreams. A baby wasn’t communicating to them through dreams. He’d never heard of anything like that.

Rin rolled his eyes. “Come with me and find out?”

“I can’t just leave.”

“Ah,” Rin said, reaching out to hold his shoulders. “I guess I’m not giving you a choice.”

Makoto gasped as coldness seeped through his whole body.

Then everything went black.

 

Makoto woke up in a lavishly decorated room. Only the richest families could afford a bed this big, and sheets this smooth. For a moment, he was tempted to burrow deeper in the blanket to fall back into sleep. It felt nice on his skin, and the warmth in the room was so perfect it could only have been achieved through magic.

Oh.

He sat up as he remembered why he was here. He looked around the room, only to see a bassinet on the ground by the side of the bed. Inside was a sleeping Haruka.

Could this child really be the High Mage?

“Hey,” Nagisa greeted quietly, opening the door and stepping inside the room without so much as a creak. He had deep eye bags under his eyes and his hair looked unkempt. His witch robes were the color of mud.

“Are you okay?” Makoto felt genuinely worried.

The robes changed color, turning a dark orange as Nagisa smiled weakly. “Babies are loud,” he said.

“Rin looked okay.”

Nagisa laughed, and his robes grew spots of bright orange around the sleeves. “He’s vain. He’ll never show weakness.”

“Your robes keep changing color,” Makoto felt the need to point out.

“Oh!” Nagisa looked down at the orange-to-yellow gradient on his robes. “It’s a mood robe. Rin-chan hates it!” He sounded proud of that. “Anyway, I’m sorry for kidnapping you. Haru-chan wouldn’t sleep and we were worried he’d get sick.”

“You’ll let me go back to my town, then?” Makoto asked hopefully.

Nagisa blinked. “Why?”

“Why… Why do I want to go back? I have a family! I have a job!” Makoto glanced down at the bassinet to make sure Haruka was still asleep. “I can’t leave all of that behind to take care of—”

“You’re not leaving them behind,” Nagisa said, walking closer until he could sit at the foot of the bed. “Once we understand what Haru-chan wants, we’ll let you go.”

“So this really is kidnapping,” Makoto said, stunned.

“I _did_ say sorry about the kidnapping.”

“My family will—”

“I’ve sent a letter to your father, telling him about your temporary job here in my estate,” Nagisa said.

“And he agreed?” Makoto was starting to feel less angry and more resigned. The Hazukis were powerful, and it was well-known how the king favoured them. Makoto’s father wouldn’t be able to do anything against a Hazuki.

Nagisa’s smile was kind, and his robe turned a pleasant green color. Even though Makoto didn’t want to, he felt himself relaxing a bit. This was a ridiculous idea and he was kidnapped, but Nagisa had no ill-intent. He was just worried about his child. Makoto understood that much.

Besides, he’d been worrying too, right? Makoto’s conscience wouldn’t be able to take it if something happened to Haru.

“I’m sorry it had to come to this,” Nagisa said sincerely.

Makoto looked down at the sleeping baby beside his bed. “It’s fine,” he said. It truly felt fine. Staring down at Haruka, he felt that knot in his stomach settle. He was needed here, and as a healer, it was his job to make sure everyone in this manor would be healthy and safe. “You know, you should probably go to sleep,” he said.

Nagisa yawned. “I’ve been trying, but I keep hearing Haru-chan’s screams when I close my eyes.”

“Isn’t there a magic spell you could use for that?”

“Rin-chan did it for me a few times but he said I have to learn it at some point,” Nagisa whined. “It’s hard.”

This was so different from Makoto’s image of the Hazuki heir. After their first introduction at the Yamazakis, Makoto had asked around to see what kind of people had Haruka. No one knew who Rin was, but everyone knew who Nagisa was. He’d heard that Nagisa once stopped a dragon from attacking the castle, and he’d single-handedly brought down an evil coven trying to burn down the main Hazuki estate. Makoto thought Nagisa was a powerful witch feared through all the land.

None of his meetings with Nagisa added up to that.

Nagisa yawned again. “I’ll try to sleep. I’ll send Rin-chan over here to tell you about the manor.”

“Do you have herbs here?”

“What?”

“I can brew you some tea to help you sleep.”

Nagisa stood up and blinked at him in confusion. “But we kidnapped you,” he said.

“Yes,” Makoto agreed, “but you also notified my dad so he wouldn’t get worried. And I assume I’ll be getting a salary as well?”

“Of course! We’ll match any price you want,” Nagisa said. “And this room is yours, and you can ask us for any herbs or materials you need for taking care of Haru-chan or for yourself.”

Yeah, he thought as much. They were so desperate they were willing to give him anything to make sure he’d stay here without a fight. He’d probably earn more in this job than he’ll earn in years as a town healer.

“Show me where the herbs and the kitchen are and I’ll make you tea.”

Nagisa stared at him. “Really?”

“My duty in this manor is to be your family’s healer, right?”

“Well, you’re here for Haru-chan,” Nagisa said.

“But you need me, too.”

Nagisa stared some more, his robe turning bright green and then yellow and then peach. “You’re interesting,” he said. “I like you.”

“Thank you?”

“Let’s go! We’ll go get Rin-chan so he can show you around after you give me tea.” Nagisa moved to grab his arm.

Makoto laughed and shook his head. He carefully slid off his bed before crouching down to look at the bassinet. Haruka was still sleeping. Upon closer inspection, Makoto could see wheels under the foundation of the bassinet, and a rope he could use to pull it. He stood up and experimentally pulled it for a few seconds. Haruka didn’t even react to the movement.

“It’s enchanted to be stable,” Nagisa explained. “Rin-chan made it.”

That was fascinating. He wanted to ask them all kinds of questions about their magic and how they used it for their child, but it wasn’t the time. He’d make Nagisa rest and check on Rin first.

“Well then, lead the way.”

 

* * *

 

 

Six months later, after training Nagisa and Rin to become the best child care experts they could be, Makoto received a letter from Amakata-sensei asking how long he’ll be staying as Nagisa Hazuki’s head healer.

“This might not be as temporary as I thought it would be,” he’d written. “I think they need me here.”

Nagisa already knew how to make Haruka stop crying, and Rin knew how to feed and bathe him efficiently. Haruka was magical enough to not get sick like normal children get every now and then. Makoto wasn’t as needed now as he was back when he first came into this manor.

Though, he knew them now, too.

He knew that Nagisa was powerful beyond anyone’s imagination, but he was reckless and didn’t do anything the traditional way. He once fainted while making an illusion show for Haruka, because apparently his illusions were so perfect that they became creatures of their own. He didn’t know what his limit was, and that was why he needed Makoto to heal him whenever he went too far.

Rin was disciplined in the opposite way, having perfect control and knowing his limits, but his magic was as wild as his fashion choices. Makoto didn’t know why, but he was particularly bad during full moons. He had so much raw power and so much control that it manifested in fevers high enough to kill normal people. When asked, Rin said it was fine because he’d been battling this on his own for years. Makoto and Nagisa shared a look then, and they both knew they were promising to be at Rin’s side every time this happened.

And Haruka…

Haruka didn’t need him as a healer.

Makoto thought perhaps Haruka needed him as a friend. The others stopped having those symbolic dreams, but Makoto continued having them. And the more he got them, the more it made sense to him. It felt like he was conversing with an old entity.

It felt like he was conversing with an old friend.

Makoto wondered if Haruka was the only one capable of reincarnation, or if he was the only one who was powerful enough to remember.

 

(Sometimes, Haruka made him dream of a familiar huge throne room, and Makoto would feel drawn into it. He would find himself walking closer and closer, but never close enough to touch the golden throne.

It was a dream, but it felt like a memory.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Makoto is so chill for someone they kidnapped, but i feel like that's in character somehow
> 
> The Lore™ is my favorite part of this whole fic


	5. Rin receives a Death Threat

Living in Rockhopper Manor was not that bad, especially since they were in an isolated area on top of a mountain. Rin had warded the whole mansion and the surrounding forest to make sure no one would disturb them. Since Nagisa was known to be a free-spirit, no one suspected he would be staying in his personal mansion for a long time.

The house might be big and too lavish, but Nagisa was a very simple person. He liked hunting with Rin and watching Rin cook. He liked letting Rin go to the market to buy their necessities. Nagisa never complained even if Rin never made anything fancy. He did complain when Rin made him study cleaning spells, but he still did it in the end.

When Makoto moved in, he was a pleasant addition to their group.

Unlike Nagisa and Rin, Makoto knew how to take care of a child, and Rin threw himself into learning everything Makoto could teach them. Makoto was also a pretty normal person despite being a Town Chief’s son. Having him around raised the common sense in the household by about fifty percent. Whenever Nagisa was too rowdy, Rin could count on Makoto to join him in calming down the other witch.

It was a welcome change.

That was, until Rin realized what having Makoto in their home meant.

 

Rin felt unusually sluggish that day when he woke up. He could feel something tugging at his mana, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. He didn’t worry at first, given Nagisa’s penchant for destroying things around the house and draining his own mana, which had the unfortunate effect of pulling some of Rin’s as well. Intertwining their magic into this house was an important measure, but it was also dangerous this way. Then again, the idea of hurting Rin makes Nagisa more careful. He'd been improving lately.

“Rin-chan! Rise and shine!”

Nagisa opened his door without any shame, as always. Haruka wasn’t anywhere in sight, so Makoto most probably had him at the moment.

“Come on! The sun is up and so should you!”

“Urgh,” Rin groaned, pulling his extra pillow and using it to muffle his ears. “Shut up. What did you do this time? I feel like someone burst through the wards.”

The bed dipped as Nagisa sat by his side. “What? I didn’t do anything.”

That caught his attention. Nagisa was a mess, but he was an honest one. He would never lie about this, especially since he knew how it affected Rin.

“Something’s wrong,” Rin said, and forced himself to wake up.

 

As it turned out, something was definitely wrong.

When Rin and Nagisa tried to find where the mana-sucking monstrosity was, they found it in the mailbox. It was a letter for Nagisa, from his sister Sora.

“Of course,” Rin said, picking it up and doing a cursory look of it. The Hazuki blood spell on it was messing with the protection wards Rin put into the mansion, since the original curse identified it as safe but the new spells identified it as hostile. Rin should find a way to disable that curse sooner rather than later.

Nagisa snatched it from his hand and sniffed at it, touching each corner of the envelope before setting it on fire.

“What?!”

“It’s draining you!” Nagisa explained.

“What if there was an important message inside?”

“I doubt that,” Nagisa said. “My sister’s rarely write to me for real. It’s always curses.”

“You have a fucked up family.”

Nagisa shrugged and didn’t deny it.

“How did they found out you were staying here?”

“I wrote to Mako-chan’s father about him staying here, so I guess it finally reached my family. It’s fine. As long as they didn’t…” Nagisa looked down at his hands, only now noticing the small piece of paper left behind by the ashes. “Oh no.”

“What? What does it say?”

Rin leaned forward to peek at the note:

_They know the bastard’s there. They’re gonna send their people, little brother._

_-Sora_

 

Makoto was panicking more than Rin and Nagisa combined. It was making Haruka frown in displeasure at everything.

“It’s nothing,” Rin said, in an attempt to soothe him. “We don’t know what she meant by that and she’s Nagisa _sister_. Maybe she’s lying. She wouldn’t put Nagisa in harm’s way.”

“Sora once tried to feed Nagisa to a Kraken!” Makoto exclaimed.

Haruka’s frown got even worse, so Rin picked him up and rocked him around, producing sparks from his hands to distract the baby from crying. Haruka seemed to understand people’s feelings, and always got upset when one of them were upset. It was doubly worse when it was Makoto.

“I’m sure it was a joke,” Rin said.

“ _How_?”

Nagisa grabbed Makoto’s hand and pulled him to the couch, rubbing his hand on Makoto’s back as soon as they were seated. “It wasn’t really a joke,” he said, lightly. “But it wasn’t a real threat, either? My sisters are just like that. They knew I wouldn’t die even if I get a little chomped up.”

“That’s not reassuring at all.”

Rin sighed. “Stop worrying. I’m strong, so I can protect you.”

Makoto stared at Rin with clear disbelief written on his face. He stared for an uncomfortable amount of time.

“What?”

“I’m worried about _you_ ,” Makoto said. “They’re not after me.”

Nagisa laughed quietly, throwing Rin an amused look. “See? You’re worrying Mako-chan. You should worry more about yourself.”

Rin gasped indignantly. “You’re telling me to worry about myself? You? Mr. I’ll-drain-my-own-mana-just-for-fun?”

“I don’t drain my mana for fun!” Nagisa argued. “I drain it _because_ I’m doing something fun.”

Rin rolled his eyes. “That still disqualifies you from this conversation.”

“Guys!” Makoto exclaimed. Haruka hit his fist on Rin’s shoulder, as if telling him to listen. “I’m serious. If they found out Rin’s here because of me…”

“It’s not your fault,” Rin said. “On the first place, we kidnapped you, so.”

“Yeah! Let us handle this!” Nagisa said. “We’re two of the strongest witches in this land, you know?”

“If they’re sending people, then we’ll just have to send them away. It’s easy.”

Makoto frowned but nodded. “If ever they come, where should I hide Haru-chan?”

Rin turned serious then. If the Hazuki family was sending people to take Rin away, there was a chance they knew Rin was here because he and Nagisa were sharing custody of a child. It’s possible they even know about Haruka’s true identity. Rin wasn’t accepted in most covens, and the royal family pretended he didn’t exist until he was needed, so having him here was perhaps a threat to their good name.

The son of a disgraced mage didn’t deserve to live in Rockhopper Manor.

“I’ll make a panic room,” Rin said. “You’ll be safe there.”

 

Five deceptively peaceful days passed by before everything broke down into chaos.

Makoto and Nagisa were playing with Haruka in his room and Rin was in the kitchen trying to cook them lunch when an arrow pierced through the kitchen window. It lodged itself on the wall right where Rin was standing. He would have been injured if he didn’t teleport out of the way as quickly as he could.

Smoke bombs followed.

Then, more arrows.

Most of them accurately found him despite the smoke. If he didn’t focus, he’d easily be hit by one of these. He plucked one from the cupboard, inwardly cursing at this assassin for making such a mess of the only room in this mansion that Rin actually liked. These wooden cupboards are made from some of the most beautiful timber Rin had ever seen, and he won’t forgive this person for ruining it.

He teleported out of the room, snapping his fingers to send a message to Nagisa and Makoto. He told Nagisa to come help him, and Makoto to go to the panic room as quickly as possible.

By his estimation, Nagisa was somewhere in the other side of the mansion. It would take him a few minutes to come, since Rin forbid him from using his magic for spells he wasn’t an expert of. Teleporting was easy for Nagisa, but he still couldn’t do it in small distances. It was always the big spells with him, never the simple ones.

That meant Rin was alone for now.

The door to the kitchen opened with a bang, and Rin saw his enemy for the first time.

She had short brown hair with two braids tying it back, and she was about as short as Nagisa. She was wearing chainmail over a white shirt and black pants. She had a kind face. A familiar face.

“I _know_ you,” Rin said, gaping at the woman.

“You shouldn’t know me,” she said, taking a throwing star from her belt and throwing it at him. When he tried to evade, the weapon followed after him and grazed his cheek. “Where’s the Hazuki heir? What did you do to him?”

“What?!” He coated his skin with mana as protection. “I didn’t do anything to him!”

“Give him back and I’ll spare your life,” she said. “You can still live, Matsuoka.”

There was something about her tone that made him remember her more clearly. She was one of his customers. She bought weapons and healing potions from him a few times a year.

“Yazaki!” He exclaimed. “What the hell? Are you buying weapons from someone else?”

The question threw her off enough that Rin was able to evade the last of the throwing stars and gather them into a pile on the floor. He put a spell to stick them together, making them useless.

“You disappeared! How else was I supposed to get more weapons?”

“Oh man, I didn’t think about that,” Rin groaned. “All my regulars might be buying from those merchants by the lake, huh? I should get them back.”

Aki took out her sword. This was one Rin enchanted for her. “That’s not what I’m here for. Where’s the Hazuki heir?!”

“I’m here?” Nagisa finally arrived from the stairway. He was panting, obviously exhausted from running. “Why’re you trying to kill Rin-chan, Aki-chan?”

“Nagisa!” Aki dropped the sword and ran towards Nagisa, examining him from head to toe. “Your father said you were kidnapped!”

What? Nagisa was in his own manor. Why would they think that?

“Chigusa said your manor was suddenly warded with evil nature magic, and that was probably why you weren’t answering anyone’s letters and why no one had seen you in months!”

Oh.

Wait. Okay. That actually made sense. Rin would give them that. Since Chigusa was the one who put the curse, she would have felt the curse being tripped. She must have also felt Rin and Nagisa’s magic intertwining in the wards. And since Rin’s magic wasn’t some pure royal blood magic, they immediately thought of the worst case scenario.

Typical royal bloods.

Finding out that Tachibana Makoto was also taken from his post out of the blue must have been their ‘final clue’ that something was amiss.

Great job being racists, Hazuki Clan.

“Aki-chan, come on! Did you actually think Rin-chan would kidnap me?” Nagisa looked really offended at the idea.

“Well,” Aki said, throwing Rin a thoughtful look, “he’s barely making any money and you’re always annoying him, so it made sense he’d snap someday.”

“That’s fair,” Rin agreed.

“Right?”

“Though, kidnapping is such a messy affair,” Rin said. “I’d rather rob then kill him.”

“Rin-chan!” Nagisa exclaimed, pouting and crossing his arms. “That’s so mean!”

“I’m just saying the truth,” Rin said, but he couldn’t help but smile fondly anyway. Nagisa was ridiculous, and while Rin was often annoyed with his antics, he’d never really try to hurt the younger man.

“Okay, yeah, I see where I was wrong now,” Aki said as she watched them both. “Ugh, this sucks. I haven’t gotten proper jobs in a while.”

Nagisa’s eyes lit up with a plan. “Why don’t you stay with us, then?”

“What?”

“I’ve got money to pay you. Lodging is free if you do chores. Rin-chan can help you with your weapons, and he’ll probably need someone to contact his old customers, too.”

Aki frowned. “I like being an assassin, though.”

“Oh, you can still do that!” Nagisa grinned. “Just don’t kill me or Rin-chan, and never tell my family what you saw here, and we have a deal.”

Rn hated it when Nagisa made sense. “You’re one of the most skilled assassins I know,” he said. “You using my weapons have been free advertisement, so it’ll help if you still continue using my weapons for jobs. And we do need better security here.”

“Better security?”

“If you agree, we’ll tell you everything,” Rin offered, offering his palm with a tiny flame inside. Extinguishing the fire by putting two people’s palms together signalled a magical pact. Rin was sure Aki knew that, since assassins usually had to make pacts with their clients.

“Oh! Wait! What was your pact with my— Who hired you?”

“Your father. He said to make sure you were safe,” Aki said. “And I’ve already done it.” She gestured at Nagisa. “You’re safe here, right?”

“I am!”

“Then.” Aki walked closer to Rin, putting her palm on his. Their joined hands glowed red in between them. “You want me to protect you?”

Rin laughed. “No, protect Nagisa. He’s careless to a really stupid degree. And you have to protect his son, too.”

Aki’s eyes widened. “His son?”

“Haruka,” Rin said, snapping his fingers and producing a portal at their side. An anxious Makoto walked out of it, Haruka squirming in his arms. Makoto looked at all of them, from Nagisa’s carefree expression to the sword on the ground then to Rin and Aki’s clasped hands. He gulped but didn’t comment.

She stared at the newcomers for a while. “Huh,” she said, then shook her head as if to focus. “Okay. I promise to protect Nagisa and his son, for regular salary and free lodging.”

Just as she was about to let go, Nagisa put his hand on top of hers. “As your other employer, I need you to protect this whole household, including Mako-chan and Rin-chan.”

She nodded readily. “I figured as much. I’ll do it.”

They let go, the light on their hands receding until only a single ray stayed connecting them. When that too disappeared, a dark star mark appeared on their palms: a sign of their contract. It would stay on their skin until they moved to null the contract. Rin had a suspicion he’d have this tattoo for a long time.

 

“Do you think that’ll be the end of it?” Makoto asked nervously as he strapped Haruka down on his levitating chair and prepared his food for lunch.

Aki, Nagisa and Rin all laughed.

“I wasn’t the first person they sent,” Aki said. “I’m just the first one to arrive here.”

“That’s because you’re good at your job,” Rin said. “Which is why it makes me think whoever will come next will be weaker. We can handle that.”

“Besides, I sent my father a letter telling him I'm safe, and he told me I was merely enchanted by the evil witch Rin,” Nagisa added. “He doesn’t believe I’m staying in one place of my own choice.”

“Shouldn’t we be more worried?” Makoto asked.

Rin shrugged. “There’s no point in worrying too much, Makoto.”

This was just how life went for Rin. Now that he was sure Aki would protect the others, he was confident that they can defeat whoever comes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Being an assassin??? in this economy???  
> I was just slowly completing the gang. Now that my girl is here, we've got the whole High Speed Fam with us.
> 
> Next stop: Him. The Boy. (It's Rei.)  
> I'm moving to Sunday only updates because ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	6. Nagisa gains a Familiar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so. Sunday was a bust, mostly because I was... preoccupied. I'll still update on Sundays, though. This is a special Wednesday update because I failed.
> 
> Anyway!!! We'll finally have Rei!!!

Nagisa had never felt as at home as he was in Rockhopper Manor.

Well, to be exact, he’d never felt more at home than when he was in the Rockhopper Manor with his new family. He used to only come here for the very few times he wanted to be alone, or when he was running away from his responsibilities as a member of nobility. He used to think of this place as an escape.

And yet there he was, standing strong, stubbornly staying in one place against everyone’s expectations.

 

The looming threat of new assassins did not phase anyone in the manor, except perhaps Makoto who still tried to remind them to be cautious of their actions. Nagisa appreciated his concern but he found no reason to change their way of life for a few pesky visitors. Aki was the strongest assassin in their land, and Rin was the most powerful witch. No matter who the Hazuki clan sent, they wouldn’t be able to win against those two.

Besides, they had a good thing going here with their routines.

Nagisa learned how to take care of Haruka from Makoto, he learned how to fight using different weapons from Aki, and he learned how to refine his magic from Rin. When he wasn’t learning, he was in charge of playing with Haruka or cleaning some of the rooms in Rin’s eternal fight against dust.

His days were filled with exciting things.

He wouldn’t let anyone mess it up.

 

“The High Mage only had one familiar, despite all kinds of nature gods offering themselves,” Nagisa read to a sleepy Haruka. They were in Haruka’s room beside Nagisa’s and Rin’s, and Nagisa had put Haruka to bed to read him his bedtime story. His eyes were already close, too tired from experimenting with crawling around his play mat earlier. No matter how old the soul inside him was, Haruka was still a baby and he acted like one most of the time.

“He chose the spirit of Iwatobi Bay. After all, that was his home. That was where he grew up, where he first learned how to use his magic. More than any spirit or god, the Iwatobi Bay Spirit was Haruka’s only family. Some even say the Spirit raised him as one of their own.”

He read the whole chapter, from High Mage Haruka’s reasons for choosing the Spirit to the different powers the familiar lent to the High Mage. He continued reading even as he saw Haruka’s face squish into that adorable expression he has when he’s sleeping and probably visiting Makoto’s dreams again.

He loved reading to his son, plus he learned a lot because of this book. Actually, this particular chapter made him think of something he’d been wanting to talk about with Rin.

So as soon as he was done, he went directly to Rin’s workshop.

 

The room was at the other side of the mansion. It was originally a huge ballroom for his parties, but he never had parties in this house anyway, so when Rin asked for it, Nagisa graciously gave it to him. A week later, Nagisa peeked at the room to see it completely changed into a workshop.

One-half of the hall was filled with old shelves of herbs, ingredients and different equipment. One corner simply had a huge white tarp on the ground and a box of colored chalk beside it. The other corner had a bookshelf, a desk, and a chair, which was where Nagisa found him when he went there.

“Rin-chan!” He walked to him with purpose, brandishing the book he was holding proudly. The title _High Mage Haruka: His Life and Death_ caught the light from the windows, making its glossy cover shine.

“That’s the book we’re reading Haruka,” Rin said flatly. "What about it?"

Nagisa nodded. “Yeah! I was reading about Haru-chan’s past familiars and I thought of something!”

Rin narrowed his eyes and did not reply.

“You have two familiars, right? Your coat.”

Before Rin could open his mouth to speak, Nagisa felt something bite at his ankles. He looked down to see Takuya and Kazuki in fox form playfully growling at him. He crouched down to pet them, offering them apologetic smiles.

“Sorry,” he said. “I know, I know, you’re _armors_.”

“ _Fashionable_ armors,” Kazuki corrected.

“We’re the only reason why Rin looks good,” Takuya added.

“And he doesn’t even wear us much anymore,” Kazuki complained. “It’s frustrating.”

“Do you want us to be _your_ familiar?” Takuya said. “You have a foxy aura.”

“I do?” Nagisa asked, gleeful. “Then we’re perfect for each other!”

Rin growled at the three of them.

“Aww,” Nagisa said, “he sounds just like you guys!”

Kazuki and Takuya tittered happily, which made Rin growl some more.

“Do you need anything?” Rin asked. “Or did you just want to poach my familiars away from me?”

“I will never!” Nagisa said, gasping dramatically. “Kazu-chan and Taku-chan loves Rin-chan the most, you know?! You should appreciate them more!”

“Ah, so you were here to scold me?”

“No!” Nagisa crossed his arms. “I’m here to ask you to help me find a familiar for me.”

Rin was quiet for a long time, deep in thought, but then he studied Nagisa from head to toe, and said, “No.”

“Why?!”

“You don’t have enough of the basics down. Having a familiar means connecting your mana with a being of power, and you need control for that or else they’ll be able to drain you. Besides, you don’t need one. Takuya and Kazuki can help you if you need something done.” Rin nodded after his spiel, as if that was that.

Nagisa never knew when to give up, though.

“But having a familiar would make me more powerful, and would help me control my mana. If I can have a familiar, you’d be able to leave this mansion and go with Aki to sell your weapons, right? You’ve been wanting to go out for a while now.”

He knew Rin was itching to get back all his customers, but he wasn’t willing to leave Nagisa alone in this manor with only Makoto and Haruka, especially given the threat of assassins. He’d been sulking about Aki’s revelation for a few weeks now. Nagisa hated the idea of Rin’s business not doing good because of his own helplessness.

“And,” Nagisa added, "you said I have a huge amount of mana. Doesn’t that mean I’ll have an easier time when I’m sharing mine with someone with better control?”

It took a few minutes, but Nagisa could see the moment Rin conceded to his brilliant plan.

“Fine,” Rin sighed, standing up and taking a book from his shelf. “Let’s go to the backyard, then.”

 

“ _Please do not bring a demon_ ,” the owl perched behind them thought, flapping their wings agitatedly. “ _Demons are too much._ ”

“ _Noooope_ ,” a bunny thought, hopping quickly away deeper into the forest.

A deer took one look at their summoning circle and ran the other direction with mumblings about the end of the world.

One of Nagisa’s many special talents was listening to animals’ thoughts. Rin had said it was a rare skill, and that Rin himself couldn’t do it because of the nature of his magic. Nagisa took pride in it. After all, if a forest witch like Rin couldn’t hear the animals, then that meant Nagisa had a connection with them, right?

“Are you even listening?”

Rin glared at him, finally looking up from the summoning book in his hands.

“Nope,” Nagisa said cheerfully. “I can’t think of anything to summon other than a dragon.”

“A dragon would work for you,” Rin explained patiently for the second time, “but it’s too big and our wards won’t survive it without additional spells.” He paused, then looked down at the book. “Besides, I honestly don’t want you having a dragon around. Not right now.”

“But in the future?”

“...maybe,” Rin said, and Nagisa could hear the curiosity in his tone. Despite Rin’s frustrations about Nagisa’s technical skills, Nagisa knew Rin was interested in his natural skill. He’d once let slip that Nagisa was one of the most interesting witches he knew, mana-wise.

Nagisa smiled widely. “Then something smaller for now?”

“ _But I want to see a drago_ n,” the owl thought. Nagisa quietly agreed. At his periphery, Nagisa could see the owl perk up and fly to a closer tree.

Rin groaned, as if he saw something sinister in Nagisa’s expression. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”

Nagisa blinked at him innocently. “What?”

“There’s an owl behind you,” Rin gritted out, “and you’ve been transferring mana back and forth for a while now. It has _your_ signature.”

“Really?” He didn’t even notice.

“It’s probably lived around the manor for a while now, so it’s gotten a lot of your unnecessary bursts of mana,” Rin continued with clear irritation. “Are you communicating with it?”

“ _I have a name_ ,” the owl thought. “ _It’s Rei_.”

Nagisa helpfully repeated the sentiment to an unimpressed Rin.

“You want to make that your familiar, don’t you?”

“...maybe?” Nagisa finally turned towards the owl, stretching out his arm to entice them to come closer. “It’s smart. And it feels kinda…” He poked at the connection he didn’t even know they had. It was similar to how he felt for Haruka, that warm connection. “I like it.”

“Does it even want to be your familiar?”

The process was a magical contract, so it needed two willing participants. Even if it was a simple low-level magical owl, Nagisa needed its permission.

“Do you?” he asked.

“ _No_ ,” Rei clearly thought, not flying towards them. It stayed a distance away, watching from his perch on the tree branch two feet up from them.

Nagisa gasped. “What?! Why?! You’ll be even more magical, you know? I can give you something in return!”

“ _I only want to be reborn as a butterfly_ ,” Rei thought primly. “ _This life is but a mere pitstop in my journey towards my ideal self_.”

“I can help you with that!” Nagisa said, then added telepathically “ _I can transfigure you into a butterfly! I can make your wish come true in this lifetime!_ ”

Rin narrowed his eyes at Nagisa, then looked at the owl. “What are you promising that poor bird?”

“ _Well then, if you insist.”_

Nagisa grinned widely and motioned for the owl to come closer. This time, the owl did fly towards them and perched on Nagisa’s shoulder.

“We’re ready!”

“I’m not sure—”

“We’re ready!!!”

Rin sighed. “It’s your funeral.”

 

 

Nagisa’s mana is so powerful that as soon as he repeats the words Rin taught him, the drawn magic circle beneath them bursts into white flames.

And Rei grows into a giant black falcon.

“NAGISA!”

“This wasn’t my fault!” Nagisa said, even though he knew it was all his fault. “Rei-chan, this is really cool! I might be able to ride on you!”

In a booming voice, Rei said, “No! This is not beautiful at all! You promised you’d turn me into a butterfly!”

“You promised?!” Rin exclaimed, offended. “Nagisa!”

“You’re going to teach me how to transfigure him into a butterfly! It’s part of the familiar connection!” Nagisa knew it was one of the skills a witch could learn, since Haruka had turned the Iwatobi Bay Spirit into a dolphin, a bird, and all kinds of other animals.

“You didn’t know how?!” Rei was equally offended, and he was flapping his wings hard enough that the fire beneath them was fluctuating between growing into huge bursts and dying off. “This is not what we agreed on! Turn me back to my true form!”

Rin raised both hands up, his palms glowing a faint violet. “Calm down,” he said. “We’ll fix this, I promise.”

“And why should I believe you?” Rei asked.

“Because I am the most powerful witch you will ever meet,” Rin said. His voice was enchanting, low and echoing as he recited a spell.

Nagisa couldn’t do anything but stare in awe as Rei slowly turned smaller and smaller, back to his original size.

“You can turn into a giant bird now,” Rin said. “Nagisa would have to learn to teach you how to transform into other creatures, though.”

Rei hooted thoughtfully, seemingly too deep in his thoughts to talk.

 

 

 

A week later, while Rin was in town and while Aki was doing her rounds around the forest, Nagisa tried his hand at transfiguration.

The book said the witch master could access any form the familiar had from their past lives. He had to use mind magic (his expertise) to look through their subconscious and find the one he wanted. Upon finding the appropriate one, he would need to concentrate all his mana into that transformation.

Nagisa thought it was an easy spell. It didn’t ask him to tamp down his mana, so he could push his everything into it unlike most of the spells Rin taught him.

“Stay still, okay?” Nagisa asked Rei.

Rei sat on the table, unnaturally still. He was interesting that way. He took a lot of things seriously, and was diligent to a fault. If he was human, Rin would probably love to have him work in their household. Takuya and Minami had human forms but they liked their fox forms more and only became human when it was completely necessary.

Nagisa shook his head to rid his mind of those thoughts. He needed to focus.

He placed his pointer finger on Rei’s head, closing his eyes as he got access. There were a lot of memories from this week. Nagisa could see how many times Rei flew around Rin, talking to him about his magic and the process he went through for his potion making. Rei was a nerd, like Rin.

Rei had a lot of memories with Haruka too. It seemed like when he wasn’t on Nagisa’s shoulder or in Rin’s workshop, he stayed beside Haruka and watched him. Rei felt the pleasant glow around Haruka, too. It was even more pleasant for him, since he was now more magic than anything physical.

Nagisa sifted some more, pushing through the years Rei spent alone in the forest.

Finally, he got to his past lives.

“Oh,” Nagisa muttered. “This is a problem.”

 

 

“I’ll find something else, I promise!” Nagisa said, bowing his head. “I’m sure there’s something we can do! There are other spells!”

Rei pulled at the tunic he was wearing, rubbing the material with his fingers. He was wearing Rin’s clothes, since Nagisa’s didn’t fit him. He didn’t look angry, rather he looked curious, but Nagisa still felt bad.

“You’ve never been a butterfly, so maybe it’s really your next life.”

Rei nodded. “I knew that,” he said. “Why are my limbs so long?” He grimaced at his arms. “This is a weird form.”

“You looked like that in your past life…?” Nagisa offered.

“I don’t think it’s beautiful,” Rei muttered, then promptly turned back into an owl.

“I think it’s beautiful, though,” Nagisa said as Rei flew out the window.

 

 

Two days later, Rin barged into Nagisa’s room, which was a surprising change since it was always the other way around.

“You found his human form,” Rin said. “He just walked into my workshop, and tried to help me with my experiments.”

“Oh! That’s cool,” Nagisa said. “He’s been helping me with my cleaning spells too. I think he can understand your books better than I do.”

“You never said you’ve found his human form,” Rin said, with emphasis, like it was important.

“What?”

“If I didn’t notice he was Rei, I’d have attacked him.”

“Ah.” Nagisa forgot about the assassins. “Good thing you’re so smart, Rin-chan!”

“Nagisa.”

“Sorry?”

Rin sighed. “You told Aki, though?”

“Well, I think Aki saw him transform to help her carry her weapons, so she found out on her own,” Nagisa said. “I’m thinking of buying him his own clothes, actually. The way he’s going, he kind of… he’s like a butler? We should buy him a tuxedo.”

Nagisa waited for Rin to reject the idea, but Rin actually hummed in thought.

“You should let him choose his clothes,” Rin said, “but yeah, I bet he’d choose something fancy. Go to the town center tomorrow.”

“You won’t scold me anymore?” Nagisa felt like he got off this one easy. Rin usually spent more time telling him all the ways he could have died because of his choices.

“It was stupid to try the spell on your own,” Rin said, “but you did good. It was perfect.”

“I didn’t turn him into a butterfly, though,” Nagisa said. He frowned, guilt settling in his gut. If he knew for sure that Rei wouldn’t have a butterfly past life, he wouldn’t have carelessly promised to fulfill Rei’s wishes. He’d found some books mentioning a spell turning someone into another species, but he’d never seen proper instructions. It was a spell only the High Mage knew, it seemed.

“He’s fine,” Rin said. “We’ll find something, okay?” His voice was gentle. He walked towards Nagisa and sat beside him on the bed. “He’s not angry with you. He can see you’re trying your best.”

“Really?”

“Really. Besides, you told him he was beautiful, right?” Rin smiled. “He asked me if it was true, and when I told him you weren’t lying, he said he'd stay in his human form more.”

Nagisa pouted. “He had to check with you to believe me?”

Rin laughed and shoved him gently. “Well, you did act like you knew how to turn him to a butterfly the first time you met.”

“I’ll find a way to turn him into a butterfly,” Nagisa promised.

“I’m sure you will,” Rin said. The fondness and complete trust in his voice bolstered Nagisa’s confidence.

 

 

(It would be years later, when Haruka was seven years old and trying on different spells with his dads, that Rei would turn into the most beautiful butterfly the world had ever seen.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one commenter said nagisa keeps on fixing things he broke himself, and....... it's true. that's the plot.
> 
> this fic feels like a slow burn to me now, just because so many things are happening that no one actually thinks about romance
> 
> but that wILL CHANGE because next chapter is kisumi's entrance


	7. Makoto meets an incubus (and various other creatures)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to link pictures so I might as well do it now.
> 
> ely made me fanart once upon a time, and it's honestly the best thing anyone's ever given me, so you should see it:  
> [WIZARD FAMILY](http://ely-art.tumblr.com/post/125179721298/nagirin-week-day-7-fantasyfuturistic-i-did)
> 
> A scene in this chapter was actually made into a fanart too? a whole comic!!!!! I'll link in the end notes!!

Initially, the worry was enough to make Makoto double-guess his decision of staying here in this manor. Aki was a stranger to him, and Nagisa’s introduction of her as “the best assassin money can pay for, and an ex-royal spy” made him more wary rather than relaxed like how Rin reacted. He knew Rin and Nagisa were careless, unnaturally powerful witches, but this sealed the deal.

Makoto wanted to run away as far as he could, to go back to his town that had numerous creatures but none who were quite as dangerous as the two witches.

But then Rin patted him on the back and thanked him for taking care of Haruka; Nagisa told him he was Nagisa’s favorite person; and Haruka sent him into the most beautiful under-the-sea dream.

Makoto sighed and accepted his fate.

He loved this family, and he wanted to make sure they were alright.

 

Not many had the ability to pass the wards, anyway. Rin was too good at weaving traps into the magic around the mountain, and Nagisa had the entire forest and its inhabitants on his beck and call.

When a shapeshifting creature Makoto had never seen before crawled from the underground pool, Aki slashed it apart before it could do any real damage.

“Hey Rin,” she called out casually, dragging the carcass behind her. “This meat is worth a lot. Should we sell everything before Nagisa sees it?”

“Nah,” Rin said. “Leave the tail here, and sell the other parts to the town as soon as possible. No one buys the tail usually.”

“But you know how to cook it because you’re a nature witch?”

“Being a good cook doesn’t have anything to do with that,” Rin said smugly.

Makoto watched the two go their separate ways, Rin holding the tail while Aki dragged the body towards the door.

“Your family is so weird,” Makoto said, poking Haruka on the nose.

Haruka blinked slowly and exclaimed, “Wah!”.

Makoto took it as an agreement.

 

* * *

 

 

The thing about the Hazukis was that they were rich and powerful, and had the Royal Family’s backing. When weird nightmare shapeshifters and human assassins failed, they tried sending more powerful creatures.

The handful of trolls didn’t even make it to the mountain, pissing Rin off when they rampaged through the town market. Rin _loved_ the people in that town, and he especially loved how easy it was to go there to sell his weapons. It was becoming his new stall. The trolls rampaging meant less business.

Aki was equally pissed, but she used the opportunity to use as many weapons as she could, literally shouting out the names and prices of each before attacking.

It annoyed Rin, but the advertisement and the entertainment upped their value.

 

The next one that got close enough was a medium-sized dragon who tried to burn the forest down around them.

Makoto watched as Nagisa stepped into a clearing, raised his hand and said, “Come here” to it with a gentle smile. Rin didn’t even try to fight it, and Aki took one look at the dragon before rolling her eyes and snatching Haruka from Makoto’s arms. She walked into the manor without looking back.

“What?” Makoto asked.

The dragon landed in front of Nagisa and bowed its head.

Rin’s expression was reverent and proud when he said, “That’s the dragon whisperer I know.”

“Why would they send a dragon to a _dragon whisperer?_ ”

“I don’t think they know what they’re doing,” Rin said, laughing. “Besides, if this is his dad, it makes sense. He thought Nagisa used magic to kill a dragon. He boasted about it to everyone.” He paused as if realizing something. “Unless he didn't believe Nagisa even then."

“You think it was a power-play?” Makoto asked. He knew all about the politics of nobility. He’d been to enough parties to know that anyone who could win over a dragon would get more recognition from the royal family.

“I won’t put it past him,” Rin said, shrugging. "Ugh, nobles."

Nagisa was now climbing the dragon and laughing loudly. His robe looked like liquid gold, illuminating him and making his bliss obvious from where they were standing. A few seconds later, the dragon flapped its wings and rose up, and up, and up.

“Is he going to be okay?”

Rin stared at the sky, sighing heavily when he couldn’t see them anymore. “I’ll wait here. You should go inside. It’s cold here.”

“Are we… going to keep the dragon?” Makoto asked worriedly.

“I’ll try to convince him not to.”

Makoto wasn’t confident in that answer.

 

The dragon wasn’t staying. But it wasn’t leaving either. Instead, they found a happy medium in giving a nearby cave for the dragon to live in.

Last Makoto checked, Nagisa was begging Rin to teach him how to bind the dragon as his familiar.

Rei’s sad expression completely ended that discussion, though.

“Thank you,” he told Rei when the Familiar walked into the kitchen the next day.

“I have not done anything yet,” Rei said, looking down at his hands as if wondering if he did something without his own knowledge.

“I’m thankful you’re part of this household?” Makoto offered, smiling.

Rei blushed and ducked his head. “As am I.”

 

Out of every creature they sent, Makoto found the old werewolf who knocked on their front door the most interesting. Rin opened the door while Makoto and Aki waited at the hallway. Haruka was inside a nearby room with Nagisa.

“Oh,” the werewolf said, one hand poised to attack, claws in full view. He froze, and squinted at Rin. “Hey. You’re Matsuoka.”

Rin glared at the newcomer. “You’re an assassin now?”

“No,” he said, sighing heavily. “Was just interested in what kind of awful monster would slay so many creatures, kidnap a noble witch, and tame a dragon.” He chuckled. “Should have realized it was our resident rebel. How did you tame the dragon?”

“That wasn’t me,” Rin said, opening the door wider and stepping back to let him in. “The kidnapped noble witch did that.”

“Nice. Do you have extra rooms? This is a good place.”

Rin rolled his eyes. He turned to Makoto and Aki, motioning for them to get closer. They eagerly did so, vibrating with curiosity. It wasn’t often they met anyone who knew Rin like this. Most creatures knew Nagisa, but even Aki (who’d been buying things from Rin for a long time) had no idea what kind of life Rin lived in his old place.

“This is Ryuuji Azuma,” Rin said. “He’s one of the strongest werewolves in this kingdom, but he refuses to join a pack.” He turned to Ryuuji. “This is Aki, head of security. She can and _will_ kill you if you make a wrong move.” Aki smiled innocently and shook Ryuuji’s hand, much to his amusement. “This is Makoto, our healer.”

“He’s the only adult in this manor,” Aki offered.

“Hey!” Rin scowled at her.

Ryuuji shook Makoto’s hand, graciously retracting his claws.

“So how do you know Rin?” Makoto couldn’t help but ask.

Ryuuji opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Rin put a glowing hand on his shoulder and said, “It’s a secret, isn’t it?”

With a disgruntled grunt, Ryuuji nodded.

Makoto hoped he could get that story out from either of them someday.

 

* * *

 

 

When their brute tactics didn’t work, it felt like the Hazukis finally gave up. There was blessed silence in the manor at last. Makoto was able to focus on trying to teach Haruka words, and making healing potions for the household. He was even able to make extras to sell in town with Rin’s other merchandise. When the townspeople got hold of those, Rin gave Makoto permission to travel down to the village to help their healer out when he wasn’t needed in the manor.

Things were finally quieting down.

They were _settling_.

 

But of course, the Hazukis were simply changing tactics.

It was late at night, while preparing for bed, when he heard a commotion from outside his room. There was a loud crack, and then Rin’s angry “ _Stay away from me!_ ”

There was a few seconds of silence, only broken by amused chuckling from whoever was in the hallway with Rin.

Makoto knew the protocol was to stay inside his room, since he couldn’t do anything to protect Rin anyway, but it still felt weird not barging out there to check on him.

Footsteps echoed down the hall, before his door was opened forcefully. Rin ran to him.

“What?” he asked, eyes wide. Rin never went anywhere near him when there was danger.

“Sorry! I need a place to hide!” Rin said.

A closer look revealed that Rin was panting harshly, and his cheeks were unnaturally red. His eyes were heavy-lidded. It wasn’t magical exhaustion or any of his usual illnesses. It looked…

It looked like he was…

Another person opened his door, and Makoto suddenly understood what was happening.

The incubus had pink fluffy hair and short black horns curled on either side of his head. He was wearing a leather tube top and shorts that hid nothing. His black boots reached up his thighs. A red pointed tail swayed lazily behind him.

Makoto knew it was an incubus, and the lecherous look added to that conclusion, but he couldn’t feel any pull.

Was the incubus only targeting Rin? Were they capable of honing in on one person instead of spreading their pheromones around like usual? Makoto had never heard of this, but the Hazukis were capable of finding assassins like that, right?

Before he could decide on what to say or do, the incubus stepped right in front of him, staring at his face intently. His whole attention was weirdly on Makoto now.

“I didn’t know angels were real,” the incubus said.

Makoto blinked at him in confusion.

“Oh my _gods_ ,” Rin muttered behind him, sounding more like himself. “Makoto, please stop him.”

“Is he another guest?” Makoto wondered out loud. Azuma had been hiding in his room for days now, but Makoto was still curious about the things he knew. Maybe this new guy wasn’t an assassin either. Rin was prickly with his friends, after all. He turned to the incubus and smiled, trying to be welcoming. “Are you lost? Nagisa can help you find a spare room, if you need one.”

The incubus walked leisurely to the bedpost, swinging his hips as he did so. He leaned on the post with the upper half of his body, and said, in a sweet voice,

“Well, I’d rather stay here.”

“I’m sorry,” Makoto said sheepishly. “This is my room.”

The incubus stared at him, a combination of glee and confusion appearing on his face. “But I quite like the view here,” he purred.

Rin grabbed the back of Makoto’s shirt, growling “Why couldn’t it be more assassins? I liked the assassins better,” to himself.

So was this incubus really sent by the Hazukis? What did they think will happen? That Rin would be seduced into giving Nagisa back? This would only anger Nagisa more, honestly. If he ever found out about someone trying to lay a kiss on _his_ Rin, Makoto was not excited to see the fallout from that.

Then again, Makoto did not know what else to do. He didn’t know what to do with an incubus who seemed to only affect Rin.

“I can get you the room next door,” Makoto said, stepping back and letting Rin drag him away from the room. “I’ll be right back.”

Before closing the door, he saw the incubus’ dejected expression and heard him say “What just happened?” to the empty room.

 

Nagisa’s expression went from _furious_ (an expression Makoto had never seen before) to thoughtful (when Rin sat beside him and held his hand) to amused (when Rin got to the part of the story when Makoto met the incubus).

“So this Kisumi guy…” Nagisa looked like he wanted to laugh at the name. It was nice that he wasn’t as angry as Makoto thought he would be, but this was a different kind of scary. The two witches obviously knew something that Makoto didn’t understand.

Rin nodded. He turned towards Makoto, offering a small apologetic smile.

“Sorry,” he said. “I went to your room because I panicked, and I was hoping you’d distract him.”

“Did I?” Makoto was still unsure about what happened exactly.

“You did more than that,” Rin said with a grimace.

Nagisa did laugh then, pulling at Rin’s hand and leaning his head on Rin’s shoulder. Rin looked like he wanted to let go and stand up, but he must have seen the lingering worry because he stayed there and let Nagisa cling to him.

“If an incubus’ thrall doesn’t work on someone, that means only one of two things,” Nagisa said. “You’re either immune to magic—”

“Which, you’re not,” Rin said.

“—Or the incubus fell in love with you.” Nagisa giggled into Rin’s shoulder. “At first sight.”

“Thank the goddess for your natural charisma.”

Makoto gaped at the two of them. “Are you sure I’m not immune to magic?”

Rin gave him a flat look while Nagisa laughed even more.

“I kidnapped you. With magic,” Rin said.

“But! Maybe it’s because you’re one of the most powerful witches in history!”

“I am,” Rin agreed. “But an incubus’ thrall has one purpose only, and that makes it even more potent. Judging by the fact that you had _no reaction at all_ , I’m guessing he was really captivated by you.”

Thinking back to the incubus’ words, that made some sense. Kisumi was using pick-up lines, wasn’t he? Still, it was weird to think of someone falling in love with him at first sight.

As if he could see that thought in Makoto’s expression, or perhaps read the thoughts using mind magic, Nagisa let go of Rin to jump forward and look up at Makoto. He smiled and reached up to pinch his cheek.

“It makes sense,” Nagisa said, “to think of angels when they first meet you.”

Makoto blushed, overwhelmed by those words and the earnest way Nagisa said it.

“If I weren’t already taken, I’d probably fall in love with you too,” he added.

“You’re _not_ taken,” Rin grumbled, but they both ignored him.

 

When they went back to Makoto’s room, they did not see Kisumi at first. Or at least, they didn’t see him lounging on the bed as they expected. Instead, the lamps were extinguished and only the moonlight illuminated the room. Kisumi was sitting on one corner, head buried on his knees.

Rin snapped his fingers to light up the room.

Kisumi looked up with a tear-stained face, his horns nowhere in sight. He was also, surprisingly, wearing a long white robe to hide his whole body. Instead of the lascivious image he had earlier, all they saw was a sad man sulking alone.

“Um,” Makoto said, and stepped closer out of instinct. He hated seeing people cry. He especially hated seeing people feel helpless. It was a part of why he wanted to be a healer in the first place. “Are you okay?”

Kisumi sniffled and shook his head.

“Does something hurt?”

Kisumi nodded and pointed to his chest.

“Your… heart?”

He heard Rin curse behind him, and Nagisa stifle another burst of laughter.

“You don’t love me,” Kisumi said sadly. “I’m not used to that.”

Makoto walked closer despite Rin trying to grab at his shirt to pull him back. He kneeled in front of Kisumi and gave him a small smile.

“Then it’s a new experience, right?” he asked. “I’ve been… I’ve been trying to deal with a new life in here, too. You know what helps?”

“What?”

“Having people to share it with,” Makoto said, glancing back to the two witches he’d grown to love. He turned to Kisumi and offered one hand. “I don’t really know you, but this place is good for discovering parts of yourself you’ve never thought of. Do you want to stay?”

Rin started to complain, but he stopped, so Makoto assumed Nagisa did something to appease him. Kisumi glanced at the witches, and then at Makoto. He chewed on his lips in thought.

“It’s okay with you?” Kisumi asked. He didn’t sound as sad anymore. He sounded curious, and confused, and determined. He looked like he wanted answers to questions he’d only thought about now.

Makoto nodded. It wasn’t his house, but he had a feeling Nagisa would be on his side in this argument.

“You can turn off the thrall any time?” Makoto asked, just to be sure. He didn’t want Rin to be angry at him.

“Yeah,” Kisumi said. “I was only using it to get information from the target. I don’t really use it often. Only for when I need feeding.”

Makoto sat down more comfortably and asked him about that, about how he lived and about what other things he did. Behind him, he heard Nagisa dragging Rin away and closing the door.

This was a new and different experience, but Makoto was getting used to those. He hoped to help Kisumi get used to it, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the [fanart comic](http://ely-art.tumblr.com/post/119651792923/incubus-kisumi-arrives-part-of-the-nagirin-wizard)!!!!
> 
> also a tiny look into into [my internal dilemma about this chapter ;;](http://moeblobmegane.tumblr.com/post/179411534183/me-as-i-write-joint-custody-chanting-this-is-a)


	8. Rin tries to learn Mind Magic (and fails)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late!! Because I initially thought I've written this chapter already but it turned out Rin had other ideas. Isn't it just great when characters you're writing have minds of their own.

Unlike the other assassins, what the newest threat brought into their house was less danger, and more frustration. Rin knew that he was technically vulnerable with the incubus near him. With his logical mind unable to process anything but his lust, he could be easily taken down and captured, but that wasn’t the biggest issue for Rin. That didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

What mattered was the utter helplessness he felt the moment he opened that package.

It was horrifying.

Rin got lucky with his choice to go to Makoto’s room, but it was still a horrible experience. It still made him feel weak.

That wasn’t acceptable.

He’d been through so much already, and he would not let an incubus get the best of him.

 

“Kisumi is staying,” Nagisa insisted, crossing his arms as he sat on Rin’s bed. “Mako-chan asked him to. He agreed. End of discussions.”

“Are you sure it’s safe?” Rin couldn’t help but grimace. The idea of staying in one house with an incubus was unsettling.

“Kissu-chan can turn his thrall on and off, plus I asked him to use it on me and it didn’t work, so…”

A variety of emotions passed through him: irritation, jealousy, dismay, bewilderment. He didn’t want to parse through any of it. Thinking about it would just distract him from the most important thing in this conversation.

“You’re immune?”

“Not immune,” Nagisa chirped. “My teachers always told me I’m the best at mind-related magic. No one has ever been able to hypnotise me, so I guess that’s why his thrall doesn’t affect me either.”

That made a lot of sense. Rin was great at practical magic and conjurations, as well as all kinds of elemental magic, but he was weak when it came to mind magic. It takes a certain level of confidence and self-assurance to be good at something so internal. Rin was good at things that had a direct outcome, at things he could practice with results.

Nagisa was confident, and self-assured, and had the mental strength of someone who grew up in a noble family with three of the most powerful witches of their time.

With a glint in his eyes, Nagisa leaned forward and asked, “Do you want me to teach you?”

 

-

 

Nagisa was a force of nature. He had an almost unlimited reserve of mana inside him, and the uncanny ability to make reality bend to his will. Rin liked to watch him do his impossible magic because it gave him insight on how different kinds of magic moved when not in the constraints of traditional spells.

That said, he was one of a kind, and it meant his view of things were skewed.

He was not a _teacher_.

“You need to think of something, then _poof!”_ He gestures around his head and imitates a small explosion. “I think about pudding and how delicious it is, and everything goes away! That’s how you fend off attack!”

Rin stared at him for a while, uncomprehending. He wasn’t sure why he agreed to this.

“Think about your favorite food!”

“I don’t have a favorite food.” At least, he didn’t have one the same way Nagisa had. He liked meat and grilled things, but only because those were his meals when he used to live in the forest. Now that he had a huge kitchen to work with, he cooked all kinds of food, but it was in search of nutritious food for Haruka. It had nothing to do with him favoring anything.

Nagisa scowled and opened his mouth as if gearing up to rant about his love for food.

“We should try another method,” Rin said, to move him away from that thought.

 

They ended up in one of the balconies, sitting on a mat on the floor. Strong winds rustled the trees around them. The sun was setting in the distance, and the entire forest was quiet. It was a peaceful scene.

Nagisa told him to feel the breeze and empty his mind.

And Rin tried, he really did, but it felt impossible to shut off his thoughts. Only people like Nagisa could do that. Carefree people. Airheads. People who didn’t have a million emotional baggages and traumas simmering under the surface. Rin’s mind was a mess, and he’d long accepted that.

“I can’t do it,” he said, after ten minutes passed without success.

“Why?” Nagisa asked, pouting.

“I’m not wired like you,” Rin said. This was why he hated mind magic. It was internal and it needed a lot of introspection. You had to dig into your own psyche to understand the mechanics of it. Rin didn’t like thinking about his own issues. It was a dangerous path.

Nagisa narrowed his eyes and leaned closer, studying his expression.

“Can I try something?”

It was weird of him to ask. Nagisa always pulled people into things without warning. He was spontaneous that way.

“What?”

“Will you let me read your mind?” Nagisa asked. He was earnest and serious.

The tone made Rin relax a bit. This wasn’t a joke, nor was it a whim brought about by boredom. This was a genuine request.

“You’ve never asked before,” Rin pointed out, because Nagisa had read his mind a few times already back when Rin was living alone and Nagisa was hounding him to attend the Hazuki parties.

“This will be different,” Nagisa said. “I’ll have to dig deep to see what I’m looking for.”

“What are you looking for?”

“Whatever is stopping you from emptying your mind.”

“I told you—”

“Humor me?” Nagisa offered a small smile, soft and tentative in a way Rin rarely saw.

Rin could do nothing but nod his assent.

 

 

_“How much is this sword?” Aki asked. She was still a royal spy back then, with her long hair tied by an intricate pin into a bun. “It looks amazing.”_

_She smiled as she bought it and strapped it to her back. “I’ll come back again!”_

 

_“Hello! I’m Nagisa!”_

_Rin side-eyed the kid but didn’t respond._

_“You were really cool back there,” Nagisa added. “I think that’s why Sora hated working with you.”_

_“She hates me because I’m not from a noble family,” Rin corrected._

_Nagisa frowned in confusion. “Why would she hate you because of that?”_

_“Hell if I know.” Rin turned back to his report, resolutely ignoring the other boy’s chatter._

 

_“Why won’t you join me?” Nagisa asked, sitting on a log and idly making lightning from his fingertips._

_“Stop that,” Rin scolded. “You’ll start a fire.”_

_“If I stop, will you go to the party?”_

_“I’m not invited.” That wasn’t the main reason why he wasn’t going, but it was still a pretty huge factor. The noble families didn’t like dirt like him in their fancy parties. He’d rather spend the night brewing potions at home than watch those elitists look down on him._

_“It’s my family’s party, and I’m inviting you!” Nagisa insisted. “You’re invited!”_

_“I don’t care about you,” Rin said. He pushed down on a familiar feeling, some part of him calling him out on his lie. He didn’t have friends. He didn’t need any._

_Nagisa rolled his eyes like he didn’t believe anything Rin was saying. “I won’t give up,” he said._

_“I’ll never come to your party.”_

 

_The forest had a symphony of sound, one that was unique to it. Chirping from birds, the rustling of the leaves, and the footsteps of critters around filled the air. There was no human for miles, and no creature that could disturb his peace._

_Rin sat on his front porch, staring up at the dark night sky._

_His bones ached with the need for something he couldn’t quite pinpoint._

 

_Full moons were hard._

_He wasn’t sure if it was because he missed his mother and the community he’d left behind or because he still wanted to..._

_No._

_He wasn’t one of them. He’d never been one of them._

 

_He was running._

_He was running in the dark, barefoot and crying. He could feel his feet bleeding and it brought fresh tears to his eyes. The night air was cold and piercing as if it was attacking him on all sides. He couldn’t hear his mother anymore._

_His small feet carried him through the forest._

_When he fell down, at the edge of a clearing, he saw his father’s staff covered in blood._

 

_Ryuuji picked him up and put him on his bed, murmuring complaints under his breath._

_“Is dad coming back soon?” he asked._

_“I don’t know anything about your dad,” Ryuuji said, annoyed. “Go back to sleep, little pup.”_

_“I’m not a pup,” he said._

_“Not yet,” Ryuuji said and patted his head._

 

_There was a time, long ago, when Rin felt at home. When he felt like he belonged. When the people around him felt like a family._

_There was a time when Rin felt like he was part of a—_

 

_His father helped her mother take off her coat as the change started. Fur sprouted from her skin and—_

 

_“You’re a witch, but you’re—”_

 

_“Rin, son, you are a miracle, and don’t ever forget that.”_

_When Rin was younger, he thought his father’s smile was magic._

_No!_

_Nagisa, no!_

_You can’t._

_Please, don’t!_

 

Rin woke up with a gasp.

He was no longer on a mat in the balcony. Instead, he was lying on his bed in his room, with Nagisa sitting by his bedside with red-rimmed eyes. Nagisa was clutching his hand as if this was his deathbed.

“What happened?” His voice came out raspy, like he’d been screaming before.

Nagisa took a bottle of water on the side table and offered it to him, watching him drink as if he was composing his answer in his head. It was weird. Nagisa didn’t think before he spoke. Something really bad must have happened if he was taking his time.

“I’m sorry,” Nagisa said, unusually reserved. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Rin blinked. “What?” His throat felt raw, but it wasn’t that bad. He knew he must have fainted at some point, but that still didn’t account for Nagisa’s attitude.

“When I looked into your mind, the deeper I got, the more you pushed back,” Nagisa said. “You have amazing control, but…”

“I don’t have amazing control,” Rin said. Wasn’t that the whole reason why they did this?

“All of your control is focused on protecting something.” Nagisa frowned, like that did not make sense to him. “You’re… I don’t know what it is, but you’re hiding something?” He tilted his head. “What happened to your dad?”

Rin felt his whole body go cold. Now that he was more awake, he could remember the memories Nagisa were looking through. He could piece together what Nagisa knew, and what Nagisa would want to ask about.

He wasn’t sure he was ready for this conversation.

Nagisa must have seen something in his expression, because he shook his head and said, “I’m sorry. I won’t pry.”

“You? Not prying? Is this a dream?” Rin said, trying to lighten the mood.

Nagisa smiled and leaned forward, nuzzling his head on Rin’s arm.

“I was worried. You started screaming and then you fainted.”

“How am I supposed to learn mind magic now?” Rin muttered, mostly to himself.

“I can protect you until you’re ready?” Nagisa asked. It was light enough that Rin knew Nagisa was giving him an out. He could take it as a joke, or even be mock-offended.

But Rin still felt sensitive because of the memories. He didn’t want to play this off as a joke. He wanted to take Nagisa’s concern and cherish it in his hands. It was what Nagisa deserved.

“I’d appreciate that,” Rin said, as sincerely as he could.

Nagisa smiled brightly in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof


End file.
